Patrick gleason



(No Model.)

P. GLEASON.

RULE FOR MBASURING LUMBBR.

UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.,

PATRICK GLEASON, OF VAUSAU, WISCONSIN, ASS-IGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE MANSON, OF SAME PLACE.

RULE FOR MEASURING LUMBER.

SPECPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,742, dated January3,1888.

Application filed September i, 1886. Sexial NoA 919,417. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

y Be it known that l, PATRICK GLEAsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Vausan, in the county of Marathon and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rules for Measuring Lumber, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention is an improved lumber-rule, and embraces, in brief, the following novel features: two rule-blades, the one about thirty inches long, exclusive of its head and handle, and the other about the same length, the latter I5 blade being so hinged edgewise as to fold fiatly upon either side ofthe former between said head and handle; also, said headed and handled blade having four or more parallel lilies made on both sides between its edges, o dividing said sides longitudinally into five or more parallel strips, the one which is on the front side and bounded by the hinging edge of said blade being graduated into a scale of thirty standard inches, while the other strips, on both sides of said blade, are graduated into respective scales of equal spaces of said thirty inches, commencing with the scale of fonrteen said equal spaces to the foot on the strip next to said inch-scale, and so on with successively rising and numbered space scales throughout the whole series of said strips; also, the said folding-blade having its sides similarly divided into strips and said strips into respectively graduated space-scales, run- 55 ning, on the front of the pendent blade, from forty-five to seventy-five equal spaces to said thirtyinch scale, and, on the reverse face of the same, inversely from thirtyseven and a half to sixty-two and a half of said spaces to 4o said standard scale; also, having, on both sides of said blade, respectively, indicative headnumbers to said space-scales, running from twelve to twenty; and, finally, said blades having duplicate pairs of flatly duplex folding 45 hinges, all of which and their purposes are hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which like letters designate identical parts of said invention in the different iigures, respectively. Figure l illustrates the front faces of said rule-blades unfolded and hanging edgewise the one to the other, and showing the dividingline of said series of scale-strips, the latter graduated into said thirty-inch standard rule and several spacescales. Fig. 2 illustrates 55 the reverse faces of said rule-blades, showing their dividing-lines and respectivestrip-scales. Fig. 8 is a cross sectional portion of said double-bladed rule, showing one blade flatly folded, the one upon the other, by one pair of 50 said duplex-folding hinges. Fig. a is a rear View ofsaid sectional portion; and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section ol'said rulebladcs, showing both the end view of one pair of said hinges and the side View of their independently and 63 eccentrieally moving pintle.

As lumber is now generally cut in even lengths varying from twelve to thirty feet, and in uneven widths and thicknesses varying, respectively, from three to eleven inches in width and from one inch to two inches and a halt inthickness, it is impossible to measure lumber fully and correctly by the scale-rules now in use, as they are not graduated to scale boards of over twelve inches in width and of the fractional portions of inches in thickness, and especially in lumber cut over twenty feet in length. Therefore the present invention is made to remedy said defective measurement and to improve upon said rules in use by pro- So viding said several space scales for said fractional dimensions aud overlengths.

The letter A designates said handled and headed blade, B said folding. blade, and C their said flatly duplexfolding hinges. The 85 said rnleeblades are each respectivcl y divided into longitudinal scale-strips, and said strips, respectively, graduated into said thirty-inch standard scale aand the others into said respectvely varying spacescales b and b', the 9o one kind, b, being graduated into even and equal spaces proportional to said standard inch-scale, as shown, and the other kind, b', graduated upon said folding blade-strips into the fractional proportions of said incli-scale 95 namely, into one-inch-andahalf space-scales on one side of said blade B and one-inch-anda-quarter space-scales on the other side the saine, as shown. Said space-scales are thus graduated to respectively designate, the one loo kind, b, the amount of board-feet in any piece of lumber, the correct total of width and even length and thickness being taken together, the given or known length of the same being indicated by one of said scale head-numbers, as shown. The other kind, b', respectively designate the correct amount of vboard-feet contained in any piece of lumber, the said length, width, and fractional thickness being taken together and indicated by that number upon the space-scale which marks said total amount in accordance with the numbers which respectively mark the known or measured length and width of said piece. For instance, suppose you wish to Vhave the correct contents of a piece of lumber with the found or known length of eighteen feet, Width ot' eight inches, and thickness of one inch. By looking upon the rule-blade A for the head-number 18, as indicating said board-length, then for 8` ou said iuch-rnle a, as indicating said boardwidth, and then above said number 8 in said spacescale 18, you will find the adjacent number l2, which designates the number of boardieet contained in this said piece of lumber. lAgain, suppose said boardpiece to be fourteen feet long, twenty-eight inches wide, and two inches thick. Look for head-unan l ber 14, as before, ou blade A as the indicative space-rule of length, then for 28 on the inchrule of widths, and the dot-mark above said last number in said spacerule Will indicate thirty-three feet as the amount of board-feet contents of a board-piece of one inch in thick.-A ness, which, doubled, gives the correct total of measurement, taking notice, according to trade rule, that all fractions of a foot over six inches count ahead and under six inches count back. And, finally, as lumber is generally cut in said fractional thicknesses of one-and-onehalfinch and one andone-fourth-inch boards `only in lumber ot the even lengths of twenty feet and under, suppose the said chosen piece measures eighteen feet long, eleven inches wide, and one and one-half inch thick. By iirst looking for number 11 on said inch'rule ou blade A, and then for said head number 18 in said space-rule on blade B, and then tracing along said space-rule until you reach the dot which marks the number 25, directly below said inch-number l1, the said number 25 gives the number of said board-feet of contents. Or, suppose said chosen piece of lumber is of similar length and width to the last above, but of one and one-fourth inch thickness. Trace along the 18 head-number spacescale ou the one-aud-one-fourthiuch rule side of said blade B until you reach the dot marking 21 directly above said inch-rule number l1, and said number 21 gives the amount of the board-feet contents, as before. The said duplex flatly-folding hinges C consist each of a pair of bifurcated straps, which closely and tlatly clasp said rule blades A and B, and are secured together each by an independently and eccentrically turning pintle, p, having a pair of duplex centered cylinders rigidly connected by a longitudiually-coneentric bar, m, as shown, which gives au independentlyreciprocal motion to each of its said swingstraps, and consequently to their respectively euclasped rule-blades, which motion causes said rule-blades to flatly fold together, either side ot' each one upon the other, as shown, for the purpose ot' convenient packing and transportation, Without liability to fracture or their springing from lproper shape.

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The pairof hinged and flatly-folding ruleblades, the headed and handled one of which is equally divided on both sides into tive or more scalestrips, the inner blade edging ones of which are graduated to a thirtyinch scale, and the others into space-scales proportional to said standard inch-scales, and, iu accordance with the indicative numbers heading said scale-strips, to be used in combination with the other or folding blade, having similar scale stripsgraduated on one side to one-and-a hal tinch proportional space-scales and on the other side into proportional oiieanda-quarteriuch space-scales, also in accordance with their said respective head-numbers, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

2. Theflatly-foldingrule-bladesdividcdinto scale-strips graduated according to their re spective headnumbers, indicating lengths,

widths, and thicknesses, in combination with the duplex and flatly folding hinges having each the blade-clasping swing straps and the independently-reciprocalpintles,substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testilnonywhereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK GLEASON.

Witnesses:

Gnus. V. BARDEEN, LoUIs MARCHETTI. 

